Device for receiving and delivering packages to and from aircraft while in flight



June 3, 1930. BLAND ET AL 1,761,290

I DEVICE FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING PACKAGES TO AND FROM AIRCRAFT WHILE IN FLIGHT 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 1, 1929 Q T roeA/EX June 3, 1930. BLAND ET AL 1,761,290

DEVICE FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING PACKAGES TO AND FROM AIRCRAFT WHILE IN FLIGHT Filed March 1, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1- 5' FRED/SB/CK 5.05 775mm:

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Patented June 3, 1930 1 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE BYRON B. BLAND AND FREDERICK DE. TIENNE, OF VANDALIA, MISSOURI DEVICE FOR RECEIVING D DELIVERING PACKAGES TO AND FROM AIRCRAFT WHILE IN FLIGHT Application filed March 1, 1929. Serial No. 343,596.

' Our invention relates to improvements in device for recelvmg and delivering packages to and from alrcraft while in flight, and has for its primary object a device which can airplane passing thereover can receive and deliver packages while in flight and the packages will always be delive'red at one Heretofore attempts have been made to drop packages from airplanes into nets or by means of parachutes but these have proven unsatisfactory because frequently the net would be missed and the 2o contents ofthe packages dropped damaged,

while where parachutes were used, it all depended on the velocity of the wind as to where such a'package might land.

It has also been found practically im 0s sible to deliver packages to airplanes w ile in flight other than by sending up an addition'al'plane and passing the package from one plane to another That, however, necessitated the use of a landin field for the supply plane and since these l-anding fields-and their equipment cost considerable money, as well as requiring a considerable area of level groundfthe cost was entirely too great for small communities.

In the drawings:

11s a perspective view of our device in set-up position showing the manner of j delivering a package from a moving airplane and also illustrating by dotted lines the manner of picking up a package.

Fig; Q-isa side elevation of our device in lowered position showing the manner in which the package for delivery is'faste'ned in place. i 7 I Fig. 3 is a top'pla-n view of our device. 7

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of one of the package supporting arms showing the man ner of securing'the package theretoiso as to prevent it from being accidentally removed and Fig. 7 1s an enlarged view wlth portions Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken on the line 5-5 showing part of the hoisting mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental sectional view showihg the'hoisting mechanism and the means for keeping it from accidentally moving;

in section and portions broken away of the means by which the packages are dropped, and picked up.

In the construction of our device we employ a pair of hollow standards 8, which may be imbedded in concrete as indicated by the numeral 9 in Fig. 2. Vllhen the device is mounted directly on the ground, these members 8 are spaced a suitable distance apart. Slidably carried by the members 8 are telescopic members 10, which are provided --with gear teeth 11. These. gear teeth in turn mesh with gears 12 carried adjacent the upper ends of the members 8.

The gears 12 are carried'by a. shaft 13, which has hearings in the lugs 14 carried by the members 8 and in bearings 15 intermediate these members. The shaft 13 is also provided "with a crank 16 by means of which the shaft'and gears can be rotated. The shaft is also preferably provided with a ratchet 17 with which adog 18 engages.

This is for the purpose of holding the members 10 in raised position and prevents their accidental lowering.

Mounted on the shaft are a pair of ladder rests wheninlowered position. See "Fig. 1; Secured to this support and also to the free end of the ladder is a. cable 24:,

which tends to holdthe ladder rigid when in elevated position asshown in Fig. 2f

Carried byfthe members 10 are a-pair of spaced apart parallel horizontal members25,

their forward ends "being united together by a" substantially *V shaped portion 26 at the center of which is formed a U shaped portion 27. This v shaped portion extends toward the members 10 in a general direction. The arms or members are supported adjacent the members 10 by means of braces 28. T 1e outer ends of the members 25 have secured thereto cables 29, the opposite ends of these cables being attached in such a manner that when the device is raised, they will tighten and prevent the outer ends of the members 25 from tipping upward.

To the rear of the V shaped portion and extending between the members 25 is a curved member 30, which has secured thereto a net 31, the lower portion of the net being provided with a ring 82 so that the net will resemble a portion of a funnel.

Carried by the members 10 and extending upwardly therefrom are members 33, which have their upper ends 34 bent so as to extend horizontally and converge, being spaced apart at a predetermined distance at their outer ends 35. These outer ends are parallel to cach'other and are provided with a shallow notch 36 over which a. leaf spring 37 passes. See Fig. 4. This is for the purpose of receiving a suspending member 38 to which the package 39 to be delivered to the plane is attached. The spring 37, however, does not possess a great deal oi tension, just suflicient so that a wind will not blow the package from the supports.

To be secured to the airplane is a cable 40 to the lower end of which is a grapnel hook 41. This hook has four or more prongs. At the lower end of the grapnel hook 41 is a socket 42 in which a spring member 43 is inserted. This spring member is provided with a loop to which one end of a cable 44 is attached. To the opposite end of the cable is attached a snap hook45, which is for the purpose of receiving a supporting member attached to the package to be delivered.

Intermediate the ends of the cable 44 is a plate 46. This plate may be either circular or of any desired shape, it being essential however that this plate have a greater area than the distance between the U shaped portion 27 of the V portion 26.

The operation of our de 106 is as follows:

lVhen it is desired to deliver a package to an airplane, the crank 16 is so manipulated as to lower the members 10 into the sockets or members 8. This operation also turns the drums 19 and in doing so winds .up the cables 20 raising the ladder 21 in the positionillustrated in Fig. 2.

over both the ends 35 and into the groove 36. He then descends and by a reverse movement of the crank 16, the device is elevated as illustrated in Fig. 1, simultaneously lowering the ladder until it comes to rest on the support 23. This movement also elevates the; arms or members 25 into the position shown in Fig. 1 and tightens up the cables 29 thus raising the receiving members or net 30 from the ground. 1

Then as the airplane comes along, the grapnel hook 41 is lowered a predetermined distance below the plane and if a package is to be delivered at the same time, the spring member 43 is inserted in the socket 42 with the package attached to the snap hook 45 and below the plate 46. Then the plane swoops down suiiiciently low for the plate to pass beneath the members 26, these members forming a V will naturally guide the cable 44 to the U shaped portion 27 causing the plate 46 to engagetherewith and pull the spring member 43 out of the socket 42. A package thus delivered strikes the net and slides down to the ring 32, the plane then continuing on, the grapnel hook will be lower than the arms 34 and pass therebetween, and on account of these arms converging, they will guide the hook so that it will engage with the supporting member 38 of the package to be delivered to the plane where one or more of the prongs will engage with this member and pull it off of the ends The grapnel hook is then raised to the plane and inthis manner a package is -delivered and received by the plane without its having to stop.

While we have described our device as being used by airplanes, this being the most common form of air service now in use, we wish it distinctly understood that our device can also be used to a great advantage in the case of dirigibles, the operation of receiving and delivering packages being the same 'in both instances.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim 1s 1. A device of the class described comprisend of said flexible member, a readily detachable member carried by the lower end ot said hook, means for detachably securing .a package to the lower end of said detachable member, a plurality of vertical]. extensible members, means for raising anc lowering said members, means extending from said members in one direction and substantially at right angles thereto for engaging with said packages whereby said readily detachable member is detached from said hook member, members at substantially right angles to said extensible members and extending in the opposite direction fronr said package engaging means for removably supporting a package, said package adapted to be engaged with by the prongs of said hook member whereby the same can be raised to the aircraft.

2. A device of the class described comprising a flexible member adapted to be suspended from an aircraft, a hook memberhaying a plurality of prongs secured to the lower end of said flexible member, a readily detachable member carried by the lower end of said hook member, means for detachably securing a package to the lower end of said detachable member, a plurality of vertically extensible members, means for raising and lowering said members, means extending from said members in one direction and substantially at right angles thereto for engaging with said package whereby said readily detachable member is detached from said hook, members at substantially right angles to said extensible members and extending in the opposite direction from said package engaging means for removably-supporting a package, said package adapted to be engaged with by the prongs of said hook member whereby the same can be raised to the aircraft, and means for holding said vertically extensible members in extended position.

In testimony whereof We have aflixed our 0 signatures.

BYRON B. BLAND. I FREDERICK B. DE TIENNE. 

